Labu-who?

Sorry, I'm 40+ and haven't cared about these until now, but apparently #Labubu’s are mainstream. Inspired by Eastern European & Nordic mythology, these fugly…er, fluffy toys are kind-hearted elf-like monsters with large eyes, a mischievous serrated smile, rabbit-like ears, and a furry body. So, essentially a cross between a Teletubby and an actual demon. Yikes 😬. They also seem to generally be seen hanging off women’s luxury handbags or the backpacks of middle-school girls.

Although I did recently see one on social media hanging off of the bumper of a car much like Truck Nutz that are popular in places like Florida. Double Yikes. 😬😬 I digress....

So many things to unpack here but first, why? And secondarily, why? But no, really, why are people rabid for them? Like, celebrity flaunting, online fandom, Black Friday physical altercation fanatical for these furry little fads.

A representative from Pop Mart, the sole manufacturer and exclusive retailer of Labubu figurines and merchandise, made this claim,

“This isn’t just about ‘toys’ but a collectible, pop-culture movement.”

But what’s more fascinating is that this “movement” is targeted not to children but to adults. Muy interesante, indeed...

Let the record state that Labubu’s are predominately sold in blind boxes, where you don’t know what model you’ll acquire. This surprise effect exploits psychological and biological factors that make it uniquely compulsive. Much like the beloved but widely criticized lottery.

Labubu’s also have small variations to encourage people to buy multiple versions of the same thing. Um…hello, if we didn’t already learn this from the Stanley Cup color craze, we never will. Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing at the University at Buffalo School of Management, says,

“We seek out novel experiences, and while that could mean a trip to somewhere we’ve never been, it could also mean collecting different cups. From a consumer behavior standpoint, we are always incorporating variety and new things into our lives.”

Additionally, fads take hold because they bring together social anxieties, technological changes, and collective desires (i.e. there are so many irrational reasons for what makes a fad a fad). Think about the cult-like followings of things like comic books, Cabbage Patch Kids, Beanie Babies, Furbys, Legos, and adult coloring books (don’t worry, I hyperlinked some of the lessor known fads for the Gen Z’ers and Alphas out there who may not recognize them). Spoiler alert: if your mom wasn’t standing in line at 3am waiting for the Toys “R” Us to open in 1989 to get you a Cabbage Patch Kid then she probably didn’t love you very much.  

In an age where almost anything can be replicated at scale, maybe we’re clinging to the idea of rarity to preserve the feeling of the extraordinary. Or perhaps, it’s this simple. All these childlike fads, the Labubu included, were/are just a means of escaping the stress and complexities that overwhelm our adult world. A means to satisfy the desire for comfort and nostalgia. A retreat into an illusion of the simplicity of childhood.  

What I'm really getting at is that marketing is rarely ever rationale. By understanding our subconscious desires, we as marketers can craft more effective ads, products, and experiences. Marketing, or good marketing anyway, connects with the consumer on an emotional level, even if that emotional level has sharp teeth and a mischievous smile.

Final thoughts: with the current state of the world being a literal dumpster fire right, if these overpriced ugly dolls bring some sort of joy to people then who tf cares why they’re all the sudden so popular. But as a marketer, I completely get it.